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Baylor breaks leg catching Vlad's first pitch

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Baylor hurt on Vlad's pitch 0:59

3/31/14: Don Baylor is injured after catching a ceremonial first pitch from former Angel Vlad Guerrero

By Alden Gonzalez
/
MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- Angels hitting coach Don Baylor fractured his right femur while catching the ceremonial first pitch from Vladimir Guerrero prior to Opening Day on Monday and is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Don right now," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Obviously it's [a freak accident], and we'll just see how it turns out. He's obviously in a lot of pain."

Baylor is a survivor of multiple myeloma, a cancer he acquired in 2003 that attacks plasma cells in the bone marrow. A fractured femur can take up to six months to heal.

Baylor, in his first season on Scioscia's coaching staff, was in a catcher's crouched position when Guerrero's slightly low-and-wide throw forced him to transfer most of his weight to the right side of his body. The 64-year-old tried to get up but couldn't walk off the field without the assistance of the Angels' training staff and was promptly taken to UCI Medical Center.

"Groove's a really tough guy," second baseman Howie Kendrick said of the former Angels MVP. "Any time you see him struggle like that, you know it's got to be pretty bad."

The Angels didn't didn't have a timeline for Baylor's recovery as of Monday night. Assistant hitting coach Dave Hansen is expected to take over his duties in the interim.